History repeated itself at the
While India famously recovered from that previous eighth-round defeat to eventually claim the title, this early-stage loss serves as a significant setback for the defending champions. The match remained tightly contested throughout, with three of the four boards ending in draws.
Decisive Clash on the Second Board
The outcome of the match hinged entirely on the second-board encounter between
Earlier in the day, the other three pairings—involving Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh, and Vantika Agrawal—all ended in draws, keeping the overall match score level until the final result on the second board.
Mixed Fortunes for India and Global Upsets
While the women's team faced disappointment, the Indian open squad enjoyed a successful outing, securing a 3-1 victory over the Netherlands. R. Praggnanandhaa led the charge with a notable win against Anish Giri, while D. Gukesh also contributed a victory. Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin both finished their respective games with draws.
The open section also witnessed a major surprise as Germany defeated the top-seeded United States 2.5-1.5. Elsewhere in the tournament, Uzbekistan dominated Hungary with a 4-0 sweep, and other notable results included wins for France, England, and Ukraine in their respective matches.
